Justen Glad

A versatile defender capable of playing any position along the backline, Glad became the seventh Real Salt Lake-Arizona Academy product to sign with the first-team when he joined up this April. The 17-year-old Tucson native joined the RSL-AZ Academy in August 2012 and helped the RSL-AZ U-16’s to the 2012-13 U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy national championship. An experienced U.S. youth international, expect Glad – who trained with RSL for the entire 2014 preseason – to add depth to the RSL defense in 2014.

Acquired

RSL: Signed to a Homegrown contract by Real Salt Lake on April 4, 2014

Professional Career

2018: In his second season as a centerback staple for RSL, Glad led the team in games started with 33, playing 2,910 minutes. Glad was recognized on MLS’s 22Under22 List at #9 for his performance on the field.

2017: Glad started and played in 18 matches for RSL, playing 1620 minutes.

2016: A year that could only be described as a breakout year for the 19-year-old center back, Justen Glad set the standard for homegrown talent on the Wasatch Front. Glad featured in 28 games for RSL, of which he started 27. Scoring his first career goal on April 2, a 2-1 win at Sporting Kansas City, he added his second and final goal of the year on Oct. 1 at San Jose. Playing 2,424 minutes in his third year in an RSL shirt, Glad was named to the 2016 Chipotle MLS Homegrown team for the second consecutive year, a game in which he started and played 45 minutes. He was also named RSL’s Defensive Player of the Year.

2015: Glad made 6 starts (two consecutive) and 7 appearances overall for RSL. He also made one start each in CONCACAF Champions League and the U.S. Open Cup. He scored his first professional goal, which was also the first home goal, for USL side Real Monarchs in their inaugural home game at Rio Tinto Stadium in April 2015. Glad was named to the roster for the 2015 MLS Homegrown Game.

2014: Glad signed midway through the 2014 season, but didn't make any appearances for the club.

International Career

U.S. Youth National Teams: U.S. Under 18’s: Called up to the U.S. U-18’s 10-day April training camp in Carson, Calif. … Called to the U.S. U-18 January camp that was held in Florida … Received his first call up to the U-18’s at the end of 2013, joining the team for a training camp in California … U.S. Under-17’s: Part of the U.S. U-17’s qualifying effort for the FIFA U-17 World Cup … Played for the U-17 in tournaments in Niigata, Japan and Azerbaijan

High School/Club

Joined the RSL-Arizona Academy in 2012 … He was a major player on the RSL-AZ U-16 team that won the 2012-13 U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy National Championship, scoring the game-winning goal in RSL-AZ Academy’s 4-2 win over Solar Chelsea SC in the U-16 Final … Glad was named to the USSDA Western Conference “Starting XI” and was named as an NSCAA High School All-American for the 2012-13 Academy season

Personal

Born in Pasadena, Calif…. One of the youngest players in MLS at the time of his signing, only two months older than the league’s youngest player, Sporting Kansas City’s Erik Palmer-Brown